Mammography screenings involve specialized X-ray equipment for examining breasts. Although breast compression during this exam occasionally causes some discomfort, this imaging technique is most effective in detecting calcification that may lead to tumors or the early stages of breast cancer, and the exposure to radiation is minimal. Breast cancer is a form of cancer for which early detection and treatment is highly likely to cure patients, yet in Japan, cases of breast cancer and associated deaths are on the rise each year. To reduce the breast cancer mortality rate through early detection, in 2000 the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare started advising women to have mammography screenings. The business of gearing up for screenings was subsidized, and the screening age was lowered. Additionally, heightened social awareness from the Pink Ribbon movement (an international campaign for education on early detection of breast cancer) and a variety of other factors have driven rapid growth in markets supporting mammography.

At the current rate, 1 in 20 Japanese women will contract breast cancer. More than 10,000 lives are lost to this disease nationwide each year. Despite this being a form of cancer that early detection and treatment often cures, uneasiness or fear of discomfort causes many women to avoid mammography screenings that would be effective in this regard. Increasing the screening rate has therefore become a national priority. This equipment was developed to make women feel more comfortable about mammography and encourage a higher screening rate.

It is truly regrettable that breast cancer claims more than 10,000 lives each year in Japan, cases that may well have been cured through early detection and treatment. In 2000, this situation prompted the Japanese government to start advising mammography screenings for women, with the goal of reducing the breast cancer mortality rate through early intervention. The Ministry's efforts included urgent financial assistance to prepare this infrastructure, as well as a lowering of the screening age. Yet many women are still reluctant to undergo screenings because of associated stress or discomfort. This equipment was designed accounting for the typical breast profile of Japanese women, and it reduces the discomfort of breast compression. With a structure for indirect examination that can help examinees feel more relaxed, the equipment also allows for reassuring face-to-face communication with the examiner throughout the procedure. Buttons and controls for accurate operation are optimally positioned, and as a whole, the unit adopts a more user-friendly form than previous equipment. Women fulfilled a central role throughout design development, as any latent problems (physically, in terms of personal dignity, or in terms of the installation environment or operation) were investigated and resolved. The result is a successful example of high-level design. [Kazuki Hidaka, A11 unit leader]